Mar 5, 10 | Posted by: Michelle Linsmeier, M.D.

Simple isn’t always easy

I was thinking about the phrase “Simple isn’t always easy” today.  My husband said it to me the other night.  (Before you think he is a great philosopher, I think he got the line from a Star Wars TV show.)  I have been thinking about it in relation to my New Year’s resolutions.  Any one else make a resolution or two?  Well for me, simple goals are not always easy.

I made 3 resolutions this year. The first is to become healthier/lose weight/work out more.  Sound familiar to anyone?  Yep, that is my perpetual resolution.  This year I’m actually trying to take it seriously.  I’m really doing this for my kids. We read so much in the paper about obesity and diabetes in children.  Studies show that children learn so much about healthy (or unhealthy) living from their parents.  They are my motivation.  If I can show them that Mom works out and eats healthy (or at least healthier), I think I’ll have achieved my goal.  And maybe I’ll lose a few pounds in the process.  So how is it going, you might ask? Well, I’m still committed to the annoying elliptical machine in the basement.  I talk to it sometimes -telling it how much I hate it.  It makes me feel better even when it’s kicking my butt! And I still eat more salads than I did 6 months ago.  My 2 year old daughter now recognizes my gym clothes and will say “Mommy’s going to exercise.”  So far so good I think.

My second resolution is to read more. Not novels, I mean journal articles to keep me up-to-date on medicine.  This has been my toughest to achieve.  I hate reading.  It should be simple – read one article each night.  Except by 9 pm when the kids are in bed, the kitchen cleaned up, the bags/lunches ready for the next day and the house straightened, the last thing I want to do is read a journal. I really want to sit on the couch and eat a chocolate chip cookie while watching Lost or Bones.  (See resolution #1 for why I’m crabby at 9pm at night!)  Again, simple is not always easy.

My last resolution is to spend more quality time with my kids.  This has been the most fun resolution to keep.  But still, simple in theory, harder in reality.  I need more hours in the day.  There always seems to be something going on. Playdates, homework, reading for school, swimming class, gymnastics, etc.  Now of course, I am spending time with them at these activities, and I’m grateful for that.  And I’ve been more focused on finding “play time” for all of us at home.  I am proud to say that I spent last weekend building a Star Wars Lego spaceship, playing dollhouse and babies for a VERY long time and losing heroically in a never-ending game of Uno.  I’ll take that as a win in the end!

So to all of you who have made resolutions or have just expressed an urge to play or relax more with your family, I wish you the best of luck.  And remember, simple isn’t always easy.  But where would the fun be if there wasn’t a challenge involved?  And if you pass my house and see me and the kids dancing in the living room to Fleetwood Mac or Foreigner, smile and know that I am working on at least 2 of my resolutions.  Maybe I’ll splurge and have a cookie the next time I read a journal….

No Comments »